KARACHI: As the red double-decker bus pulls away from popular Zainab Market, Sakina Attaria climbs the narrow stairs to the upper deck, claiming a window seat just as Karachi opens itself below her.
From the top, the city looks different.
Painted bright red and wrapped in illustrations of Karachi’s landmarks, Mazar-e-Quaid, Frere Hall, and the old Empress Market, the bus moves steadily along Shahrah-e-Faisal, the city’s main commercial artery. Below, banks, corporate headquarters, and advertising agencies rush past, marking the daily grind of Pakistan’s financial hub.
“This is my first day on the double-decker, and the experience is fantastic,” Sakina says, smiling as the wind presses against the sealed glass. “I’ve been using public transport since April. This is good, affordable, and it’s quite pretty too.”
After a gap of nearly 65 years, double-decker buses have returned to Karachi, a city of more than 23 million people struggling with traffic congestion and a chronic shortage of reliable public transport.
The Sindh government officially launched the service on December 31 last year, with Sindh Transport Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon inaugurating the fleet. Operations for the public began on New Year’s Day.
The initial rollout includes five Chinese-made diesel buses running a 22-kilometre route from Model Colony in Malir to Zainab Market in Saddar. The journey begins near residential neighborhoods, cuts through downtown Karachi’s business district, continues toward Jinnah International Airport, and then reconnects via the highway that marks both the city’s exit and its gateway.
Each bus can carry up to 120 passengers and is fully air-conditioned, with an adjustable roof designed for Karachi’s extreme and unpredictable weather. Fares range from Rs80 [$0.28] to Rs120 [$0.42], depending on distance.
For Sakina, who commutes regularly across the city, affordability matters as much as comfort. “For students like us, transport costs add up quickly,” she says. “This makes a big difference.”
Other commuters share her enthusiasm. Nida, a schoolteacher travelling on the first day, calls the service overdue. “It’s a great experience for students, working professionals, and especially ladies,” she says. “We need more of these in Karachi. All cities should get such buses.”
The novelty of the upper deck, a rarity in Pakistan’s urban transport, has drawn young riders eager for a new perspective. “The top-deck view makes the daily commute feel different,” says Urooj Kaifulwara, a university student. “We’re very excited and hope there are more initiatives like this.”
But the buses are not only about the future. For some passengers, they are a moving archive of the past.
Friends Muhammad Danish and Ahmed Khan boarded the bus to relive memories from decades ago. “Last I saw this was in the 1960s,” Danish recalls. “What memories. We just came to see it again.”
The transport minister says the service is part of a broader effort to revive public transport in Karachi, including electric buses and expanded routes. He has announced plans to increase the fleet through 2026, with the goal of deploying double-deckers on all major roads across the city.
For now, as the red bus glides past office towers, airport roads, and highways leading out of Karachi, Sakina watches the city move beneath her, a commuter suspended between nostalgia and necessity.
“It feels like Karachi is finally moving forward,” she says, as the bus heads toward the city’s edge.
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